Huang Junjie, an experienced Chinese official, has admitted receiving bribes to fix a 2007 exhibition match between Manchester United and China's Shenzhen FC as well as a 2009 fixture between Australian A-League club Sydney FC and China's Shanghai Shenhua.

United won the friendly 6-0, with Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, John O'Shea, Chris Eagles and Nani, making his debut for the club, on target.

In addition to those games, Huang admitted to accepting more than £160,000 in bribes to fix two international friendlies as well as six Chinese club matches between 2005 and 2009. There is no suspicion that Manchester United's players or officials knew the game was fixed, or was the subject of suspicious activity. The club are expected to make a statement this afternoon.

According to China's official Xinhua news agency Huang also confessed to accepting bribes from his colleague Zhou Weixin to sway results. Zhou is facing charges of corruption as well as bribing civil servants, Xinhua said.

Hearings into corruption against some of China's top footballing officials commenced on Monday with Zhang Jianqiang, the former head referee of the Chinese Super League, in court to face charges of accepting match-fixing bribes of over £260,000.

Related Articles

Lu Jun, an official who had previously refereed World Cup and Olympic football games, is set to stand trial on Wednesday while about 20 other former officials and referees are to face the courts later this week.

The hearings are part of a crackdown on corruption that have reached the top echelons of the game in China, and led to the downfall of the head of the Chinese Football Association (CFA)

According to state media, CFA officials routinely fixed matches, including national team and league games, by allegedly buying off the teams or referees involved.

Association officials also reportedly accepted pay-offs from players who wanted to be named to the national team – a practice widespread among league clubs also.

Sponsors abandoned the sport, and state television network CCTV refused to broadcast Super League games.

The league hit the headlines this earlier this week with news that Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka had signed for Shanghai Shenhua on a two-year deal worth £175,000 a week.

His former team-mate at Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Michael Ballack is also rumoured to be joining the club next season.

Didier Drogba, whose contract at Stamford Bridge runs out at the end of the season, has also been linked with a move to China after he was offered a three-year deal worth more than £30 million – £200,000 a week.